One of the ads banned from Vancouver bus stops shows the legs of a man on top of a woman in a hospital bed, her legs covered in casts. The ad’s kicker? “Orgasms can kill pain.”

The second rejected ad shows a set of crumpled tissues and reads “Ejaculation fights colds.”

A third ad showing a haphazardly used package of birth-control pills with the kicker “Birth control pills affect your memory” was deemed acceptable for the city’s commuters.

The campaign was meant to attract attention, but Bryan Tisdall, President and CEO of Science World British Columbia, said he was surprised by the reaction.

“We are always walking that picket fence between being bland and being outrageous,” he said. “[But] we had thought these ads were quite within the realm of acceptability.”

The ads, created pro bono by the ReThink agency, were designed for both use online and on billboards. But, so far, only one of the ads has been accepted for outdoor use. All three ads continue to be used online.

The “Science of Sexuality” exhibit is aimed at adolescents 12 and older and is meant to present “a positive image of sexuality and [by] exploring what science has revealed about the topic, the exhibition hopes to provide visitors with enough information on the many issues of sexuality to make enlightened and responsible decisions.”

“The exhibition informs visitors and helps them understand the issues surrounding sexuality so they can make enlightened and responsible decisions. The exhibition is designed to present information in a scientific, fun and thoughtful manner,” the FAQ says.

Beyond the ads, the actual exhibit itself does have images of naked people, but doesn’t show any explicit sex acts.

Tisdall points out that the exhibit is a way for the science centre to expand its audience.

“We are trying to broaden who we attract,” he said, pointing out that the average Science World attendee is a family with small children. The topic of sexuality was chosen because “especially in the teen group they are asking questions” and Science World wanted to answer those questions in “completely factual and sometimes bold way.”

Tisdall notes that most of the reaction to the ads hasn’t been from the public, but from media.